Lana Del Rey Surprise; Surfaces in UK Rapper's Mashup (listen!)

Lana Del Rey is suddenly everyone’s darlin’… again. She’s popping up in the most unusual and surprising places like a a collaboration on a 1966 Shirley Bassey tune, “Big Spender,” with UK rapper Smiler.

Although the collaboration took place two years ago for Smiler’s remix of “Spender,” off his mixtape All I Know, it’s suddenly gaining traction on YouTube.

Smiler uploaded a clip of the song on Feb. 16 and it’s capitalizing on the controversial launch of Del Rey’s own album,Born to Die. It was released on iTunes Jan. 27 and as a CD on Jan. 31.

The music establishment trashed it. Rolling Stone gave it only two stars out of five, but sales have soared. In England, her album has become the fastest-selling album of 2012.

The release follows her performance on “Saturday Night Live” last month that was widely panned as the worst in the show’s history. But she redeemed herself on David Letterman with a signature performance of her song “Video Games.”

Now All I Know, complete with Del Rey’s tune, is set to ride the surge of her rising profile. It will be released Feb. 27. “Big Spender” has been covered by a slew of artists, including Queen, Dionne Warwick, Bette Midler and Christina Aguilera.